MOUNT HOLLY – A 22-year-old Camden man was sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey state prison for sexually assaulting a young girl in Maple Shade, and for filming a young boy in Pennsauken who was using the restroom, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Friday.

Jermaine J. Ward must serve 15 years before becoming eligible for parole under the sentence handed down Thursday by the Hon. Terrence R. Cook.

Ward was arrested in June, and pleaded guilty in December to aggravated sexual assault (first degree) and endangering the welfare of a child (second degree). Ward was acquainted with his victims.

Jermaine Ward(Photo: Photo provided)

The crimes occurred between the fall of 2017 and the spring of 2018. The girl was asleep during the assault and the boy was not aware that he was being recorded, law enforcement officials say. The names of the victims and other details are being withheld in an effort to protect their identities, officials said.

Ward will serve his sentence at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Woodbridge, Middlesex County. The facility houses sex offenders and is jointly operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the New Jersey Department of Human Services.

“Childhood is supposed to be a happy, carefree time, but this defendant’s heinous actions threatened to destroy that oasis for these young kids,” Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said in a statement. “Our Office will continue to do everything within its power to make sure that anyone who harms a child is brought to justice.”

At the time of the arrest, Ward was employed by the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties, and worked in two area schools through the organization’s Prime Time before-school and after-school programs, authorities said.

Ward was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Eife, supervisor of the Special Victims Section of the BCPO Major Crimes Unit.

The case was investigated by detectives from the Maple Shade Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation was led by Maple Shade Detective Scott Supernowicz and BCPO Detective Mel Rodgers.